Enrollment
664
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Escondido, CA
Bernardo Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Bernardo Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 40/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 061288011131
👥 S:T ratio 20
🌟 Gifted program 70
📋 Attendance 31
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Bernardo Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #4 of 23
- elementary schools in Escondido · Resource Index
- 40
- Resource Index · Typical
- 20.1:1
- students per teacher
- 18.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Bernardo Elementary has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Bernardo Elementary ranks #4 of 23 elementary schools in Escondido, CA.
School address
District: Escondido Union · California
NCES ID 061288011131 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
33.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
20.1:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
-7% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
18.0%
vs 55.5% California avg
-68% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Bernardo Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Bernardo Elementary
Bernardo Elementary is a lower-poverty, mid-sized elementary school in Escondido, California, enrolling 664 students.
Class sizes run a bit leaner than typical: 20.1:1 puts it in the smaller third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 18.0% free-meal eligibility runs 68% below the California average.
Enrollment of 664 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,228 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #356.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (30%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 67/100).
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.6% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among Escondido's elementary schools, it stands alongside Classical Academy (1,581 students): Bernardo Elementary is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (20.1:1 vs 29.3:1).
Escondido Union also operates Bear Valley Middle (923 students) and Mission Middle (855 students) alongside Bernardo Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Bernardo Elementary compares
Bernardo Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 20.1:1 | ▼ 7% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 18.0% | ▼ 68% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 664 | top 26% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
20.1:1
Leaner classes than 16% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
664
Bigger than 78% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
18.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 68% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
20.1:1
students per teacher
- 7% below state mean
Top 35% in California - lower ratio than 65% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
27.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$17,027
per pupil, district-wide
- above California avg of $16,509
Close to the U.S. public-school average per-pupil spend.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 0 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 46.2%
Hispanic or Latino 30.4%
Two or More 14.0%
Asian 8.6%
African American 0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.2%
Largest group: White at 46.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 66.7/100
Simpson diversity index - at 66.7, Bernardo Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Escondido Union, which includes Bernardo Elementary.
$17,027
Per student
+3%
vs California
Avg $16,509
+3%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 32.4%
State 52.9%
Federal 14.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Bernardo Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Middle | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Rincon Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Hidden Valley Middle | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Bernardo Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 923
- Students per teacher
- 17.4:1
- Resource Index
- 27/100
- Enrollment
- 855
- Students per teacher
- 16.8:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 788
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 772
- Students per teacher
- 15.4:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 733
- Students per teacher
- 15.9:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
Similar elementary schools in Escondido
6 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Classical Academy
Standard public school
1,581 students 29.3:1 students per teacher
Heritage K-8 Charter
Standard public school
1,345 students 22:1 students per teacher
Community Montessori
Standard public school
795 students 27.4:1 students per teacher
L. R. Green Elementary
Standard public school
717 students 17.1:1 students per teacher
Oak Hill Elementary
Standard public school
679 students 21.2:1 students per teacher
Reidy Creek Elementary
Standard public school
626 students 17.4:1 students per teacher
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~664 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Bernardo Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Bernardo Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Escondido Union's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Bernardo Elementary
How many students attend Bernardo Elementary?
Bernardo Elementary has 664 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Escondido, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Bernardo Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Bernardo Elementary is 20.1:1, which is 7% lower than the California average of 21.5:1 and 28% higher than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Bernardo Elementary?
18.0% of students at Bernardo Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Bernardo Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Bernardo Elementary is White at 46.2% of enrollment, in Escondido, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 66.7/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Bernardo Elementary?
Bernardo Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 40/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Bernardo Elementary rank among elementary schools in Escondido?
By Resource Investment Index, Bernardo Elementary ranks #4 of 23 elementary schools in Escondido, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Escondido on the city page.
Is Bernardo Elementary a good school?
Bernardo Elementary earns 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Escondido Union?
Besides Bernardo Elementary, Escondido Union also operates Bear Valley Middle (923 students), Mission Middle (855 students), and Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences (788 students). See the Escondido Union district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.